{"id":71131,"date":"2022-04-27T13:12:36","date_gmt":"2022-04-27T18:12:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wbcboxing.com\/?p=71131"},"modified":"2022-04-27T13:40:55","modified_gmt":"2022-04-27T18:40:55","slug":"oscar-valdez-shakur-stevenson-fight-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wbcboxing.com\/en\/oscar-valdez-shakur-stevenson-fight-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Oscar Valdez Shakur Stevenson Fight Week"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oscar Valdez Shakur Stevenson Fight Week<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Photos by Mikey Williams<\/p>\n

Valdez-Stevenson super featherweight title unification bout goes down SATURDAY at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ (10 p.m. ET\/7 p.m. PT) Fight Week content is available to stream on Top Rank\u2019s YouTube Channe<\/p>\n

Two world title belts and a combined record of 47-0. The battle for super featherweight supremacy, is almost here. WBC champion\u00a0Oscar Valdez<\/strong>\u00a0(30-0, 23 KOs) will battle WBO king\u00a0Shakur Stevenson<\/strong>\u00a0(17-0, 9 KOs) this Saturday, April 30, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

The bitter rivals will compete to become the division\u2019s first unified champion since 2005. Valdez, from Nogales, Mexico, is a two-division world champion who defended his featherweight crown on the same night Stevenson turned pro in April 2017. Stevenson, also a two-division king, is coming off a title-winning knockout victory over Jamel \u201cSemper Fi\u201d Herring.<\/p>\n

Valdez-Stevenson, an eight-round lightweight co-feature between U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis and Esteban Sanchez, and the four-round Nico Ali Walsh-Alejandro Ibarra middleweight special attraction will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET\/7 p.m. PT.<\/p>\n

Three days from fight night, this is what Valdez and Stevenson had to say.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Oscar Valdez<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cEven though I had a very tough challenge against Miguel Berchelt, this is the toughest and biggest fight of my career because Shakur has been talking for quite some time. Here we go again. The odds are against me, and everyone thinks that he will walk all over me, but just like against Berchelt, I will use that as motivation. I know I have a tough fight in front of me, but this is not something that I haven\u2019t done before. I have worked very hard in the gym, and as always, I\u2019m going to give it my best and leave it all in the ring. Like we say in Mexico, I’m willing to die on the line just to win. That\u2019s all that matters to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is the type of fighter that talks a lot and is always running his mouth on social media, but I\u2019m not like that. I let my fists do the talking. He is the type of fighter that is not willing to go to war. I\u2019m the type of fighter that always wants to give the fans what they want. Since he is not willing to give the fans what they want, this will be more of a chess match. It will be a more technical fight. The smartest fighter inside the ring will win. For this kind of challenge, I prepared myself very well physically, but more importantly mentally.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEver since I was a kid, I have dreamed of being the main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It just sounds beautiful. Sounds like you made it. This is the major leagues. I\u2019m very excited. I\u2019m enjoying every moment. I\u2019m enjoying this journey of greatness. When I win this fight, I will be one step closer to being on the pound-for-pound list, and more importantly, I will be a step closer to accomplishing my dream of being considered one of the best fighters in Mexican boxing history. I want my name to be among all these great Mexican fighters, like Morales, Barrera, Marquez, and Chavez. For that to happen, I need to win this fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Shakur Stevenson<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“We are back in Las Vegas for training camp, and everything is going great. My grandfather and my team have me looking and feeling super sharp, and everyone is going to see the results of all this hard work on April 30.”<\/p>\n

“This fight is three years in the making. Everyone knows that I\u2019ve wanted to fight Oscar Valdez since 2019 when he vacated his belt at 126 instead of fighting me. He avoided me for as long as he could, but now is the perfect time for this fight and the fans are in for a show when we finally step into the ring.”<\/p>\n

“I am the best 130-pound fighter in the world, and I will prove it when I beat Oscar Valdez and become unified champion. I won\u2019t stop there, though. I want to become an undisputed champion at 130, and beating Oscar Valdez is the next step.”<\/p>\n

“The world hasn\u2019t seen everything that Shakur Stevenson can do in a boxing ring yet. I am boxing\u2019s next superstar, and my performance on April 30 is going to prove it. Come out to the MGM Grand or tune in on ESPN because you don\u2019t want to miss this fight.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Exclusive Valdez-Stevenson content will be available on\u00a0Top Rank’s YouTube Channel<\/a>throughout fight week. Catch up on the following original content before fight night:<\/em><\/p>\n

Blood, Sweat and Tears: Valdez vs. Stevenson<\/em>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0<\/em>Part 1<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Part 2<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 is an in-depth look at both fighters\u2019 training camps and their journey to this historic matchup.
\nTalk That Talk<\/a><\/em>, hosted by Crystina Poncher, is the first face-to-face interview featuring both Valdez and Stevenson.<\/p>\n

Valdez, Stevenson, Davis, and Ali Walsh participated in a media conference call Monday.\u00a0Click Here<\/a>\u00a0to see what the fighters had to say.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fight Week Schedule<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thursday, April 28: Valdez vs. Stevenson Main Event and Undercard Press Conference<\/strong>
\n4 p.m. ET\/1 p.m. PT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Valdez vs Stevenson
\nDavis vs. Sanchez
\nAli Walsh vs. Ibarra<\/p>\n

Streaming on ESPN+ and Top Rank’s\u00a0YouTube<\/a>\/Twitter<\/a>\u00a0pages<\/em><\/p>\n

Friday, April 29: Valdez vs. Stevenson Weigh-In<\/strong>
\n4:40 p.m. ET\/1:40 p.m. PT<\/strong>
\nUndercard fighters weigh in, live on Top Rank’s\u00a0YouTube<\/a>\/Twitter<\/a>\u00a0pages<\/p>\n

5 p.m. ET\/2 p.m. PT<\/strong>
\nMax on Boxing Live Weigh-In Show (ESPN2) featuring the main card fighters as they step on the scale<\/p>\n